Studio shoot for Ink Monkey, Belfast

This bunch. What can I say. They are tireless. Relentless in the pursuit of just all-round doing a great job at whatever they set their hands to. Jolly purveyors of tasty inks and blank pages on North Street, they supply professionals, students, and anyone else who knows what it's like to squander their pocket money on by-the-one Caran d'Ache.

The shop doubles as arty venue and gallery in the support of local artists and craftists. They are demons on Instagram and are forever popping up behind stalls around the city. Ink Monkey also runs a Etsy outlet selling art and craft they have created themselves. They asked me to provide photographs of some of their frames and bon mot foil prints and I was only too happy to supply the suppliers. Between us we gathered a mountain of props once the Bowler Hat was dry I was off on my toes.

I should also point out that they wrote a very pleasant blog piece on their own site about the merits of good photography, and I was referred to as "a lovely, friendly woman, cocooned in a zingy, lime-green coat, (who) graced us with her enthusiastic presence and we knew right away that we had made the right choice." for which I am very chuffed and grateful.

Pantone have chosen two colours this year to represent their 'Colours of the Year' initiative. It's the first time they have picked a blend and they are Rose Quartz and Serenity. (Pantones 13-1520 & 15-3919 respectively). Whilst Pantone talk about mindfulness and gender blurring, I immediately think of the Caribbean and Barbados in particular. Bajan sunsets are early and bruised and pink beaches blush. These photographs from my archives go back as far as 1995. I can feel the salt in my hair and sand between my toes with the promise of a flying fish sandwich and four square.

'Tis the season..to mess about with buttons and bows. At my grandfather's house I'd be given a Petticoat Tail tin of buttons to play with. This kept me endlessly amused. The tin belongs to me now and I often revert for inspiration for cards and wrapping. It seems to be a magic tin as it coughs up an unending supply of fat milky pennies. Buttons are humbling, they mind of chunky itchy aran knits in mustard or turquoise. Howling Donegal beaches. I'm tying tassels for my christmas presents. Sometimes they'll be hung on a tree after. Last year it was chilli peppers bound with twine. Now star anise daubed with glitter glue when I should be doing something else. Those are my Granda's scissors too. They could do with a sharpen sure. Merry Christmas.